In less than an hour the Turkoman coast lay well defined before us, appearing as a long tract of land with elevated ground here and there. We followed the direction indicated by other craft which were running in before us: the sails were soon lowered, for we had reached the end of the navigable waters, and lay off about a mile and a half from the mouth of the Görghen. On both of its banks we saw the encampment of Gömüshtepe, in form like a hundred beehives lying close together. As it had been at Karatepe, so was it also here, on account of the shallowness: even boats that draw little water cannot approach the shore, or run into the river Görghen, which is itself tolerably deep and never wants water. We were therefore obliged to wait at a considerable distance off shore until Yakoub should have disembarked, reported his arrival, and sent back to us several Teïmils to aid us in our disembarkation. After some delay, three of these very original transports came; they were to perform their little voyages as often as our numbers rendered it necessary, until all should be landed. Hadji Bilal and I were the last to land, and I was really delighted when, on touching shore, I heard that Khandjan, informed of my arrival by my honest friend Yakoub, had hastened down to receive me. There I found him on landing, a few paces behind, in the attitude necessitated by the repetition of the afternoon prayer (Aszr-Namazi). [Illustration] Reception by Turkoman Chief on the Caspian Shore. {45} CHAPTER V. ARRIVAL AT GÖMÜSHTEPE, HOSPITABLE RECEPTION OF THE HADJIS KHANDJAN ANCIENT GREEK WALL INFLUENCE OF THE ULEMAS FIRST BRICK MOSQUE OF THE NOMADS TARTAR RAIDS PERSIAN SLAVES EXCURSION TO THE NORTH-EAST OF GÖMÜSHTEPE TARTAR FIANCÉE AND BANQUET, ETC. PREPARATION OF THE KHAN OF KHIVA'S KERVANBASHI FOR THE JOURNEY THROUGH THE DESERT LINE OF CAMELS ILIAS BEG, THE HIRER OF CAMELS ARRANGEMENTS WITH KHULKHAN TURKOMAN EXPEDITION TO STEAL HORSES IN PERSIA ITS RETURN. _Ad introeuntium dextram Scythae nomades, freti litoribus, insident_.-- Pompon. Mela,_De Situ Orbis_, 1. iii. c. v. [Arrival at Gömüshtepe, hospitable Reception of the Hadjis; Khandjan]